Tom Hubbard took took his artwork addressing gun control and gun violence to an unlikely place: a gun show.

He set up a booth at The Indy 1500 Gun and Knife Show Oct. 28-30 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. But his guns were sculptures, not actual firearms.

“I talked to anybody that would talk to me about gun rights and gun violence,” Hubbard said. In his conversations with people at the show, he purposely did not state any personal opinions but simply asked questions. At the show, and ultimately with his work, Hubbard wants to start a conversation about society’s views on guns, gun violence and gun control.

“It’s not OK if we don’t talk about it,” he said. “Even if we don’t agree, not talking about it won’t solve anything.

“Unloaded” is a touring multimedia show curated by Suzanne Slavik, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. It consists of works by 19 international and national artists, all exploring the topic of guns. The show features a wide variety of media, including sculpture, printmaking, text and film. Hubbard’s piece is not a part of the touring show, but was commissioned specifically by iMOCA Executive Director Paula Katz to be included in the Indianapolis exhibit.

Many of the pieces explore the artist’s own relationship with gun control or gun violence, and make various commentaries on guns in society. A sculptural piece titled “Guns” by artist Don Porcella features a plastic toy bag with “guns” written across the top in bright, bold letters. The bag has several mini gun figures inside, all constructed out of pipe cleaners, varying in color and sparkle. Another piece by art collective Dadpranks titled “Echinacea Plus, Cold Defense” is a photograph of a mug with the handle of a revolver and a hunting retailer’s logo printed across the front, meant to address gun-related suicide. Mel Chin’s sculpture is of eight AK-47s in a Maltese cross. The artist’s statement says the aim is to show how easy it was to buy this many rifles at one time.

Katz booked the show more than a year ago, but current events make the exhibit and its examination of gun violence particularly relevant today. “It’s a very divisive issue,” she said. “I hope the show sparks a dialogue.”

Katz added that the diversity of the artists in the show is also important in delivering a message about the various ways guns affect lives. Each artist displays varying levels of opinion and personal involvement with guns, and having so many works helps keep things fairly neutral to prompt viewers to come to their own conclusions. Katz said she commissioned Hubbard’s piece for the show to keep things even more neutral.

Titled “Recoil,” Hubbard’s work features porcelain guns that vary in color from black to white and shades of gray in between.

Each gun has a quote or fact relating to both sides of the gun control argument carved into its side. One quote featured is from President-elect Donald Trump and reads, “To the left, every gun is an assault weapon.” Another quote reads, “I suggest putting a teacher in every gun store.”

Hubbard, a Georgia resident who earned a fine arts degree from Indiana University, began the sculpture several years ago and had been in contact with Katz throughout his creative process.

“I was appalled at what I was seeing on the news each night,” he said. “My initial intent when I started the project was to be completely neutral and just reflect what I was seeing.” Shortly after starting, Hubbard realized if he remained too neutral, no discussion of the issues would result from his work. He decided to edit and carefully choose what facts and quotes to include, prompting viewers to consider a different viewpoint and start a conversation about the work.

The color scheme is intended to show the gray area that exists on the subject. The material used is also intentional. Hubbard chose porcelain to create his gun figures for his sculpture, commenting on the balance between the power and fragility guns hold. “Here’s this object that can be seen as an object of violence, but it’s made out of a delicate material,” Hubbard said.

Ultimately, Hubbard’s vision for his contribution to the show is what Katz hopes the show does as well. “It’s important for people to see contemporary art spaces not just for aesthetically pleasing art but as a space to discuss political issues,” she said.

Bekah Pollard is a 2016 Arts Journalism Fellow. The fellowship is a partnership between the Arts Council of Indianapolis and IndyStar.